OTHER than the fact that it had a whopping P70 million budget, it had an extra-grand final scene filmed in Beijing, and it is Regal Films? official entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival, there?s one more reason why ?Mano Po 6: My Mother?s Love? is undoubtedly the ultimate installment of the long-running film series on Chinoy family dramas: this is the first one to star Sharon Cuneta, in her Regal Films debut.

The Megastar, who went straight from a sell-out US concert to final shooting for the film, leads a cast that includes Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kris Aquino, Ciara Sotto, Dennis Trillo, Nicole Uysiuseng, John Manalo and Heart Evangelista, who plays rebellious daughter to Sharon?s family matriarch.

?I?m glad that my first for Regal is something as big as this one,? Sharon has said to the press for the upcoming extravaganza, directed by Joel Lamangan, which tells a story of clan bonds, maternal love, and family values. ?We?ve all put in hard work for this movie, and we gave our best to make it great.?

Speaking of family, Sharon winds down a whirlwind of work just in time to make it home for the holidays to play her favorite roles nowadays: as mother to daughters Maria Kristina Cassandra (KC), now 24 and a star in her own right, Simone Francesca Emanuelle (Frankie), just turned 9, and Mariel Daniella Sophia (Miel), aged 5; and as wife to Senator Francis ?Kiko? Pangilinan, whom she married 13 years ago.

Like pretty much every role she plays, Sharon has taken these on with much authenticity and dedication, with stellar results. As family comes into focus again for the holidays, Sharon Cuneta answered SIM?s questions about family, life lessons, and being a Mega Mom ? and spread a lot of cheer in the process. Some excerpts from our lively e-mail exchange:

SIM: So how will Christmas be celebrated at your house this year? Any special rituals carried over from your house or Senator Kiko?s house?

Sharon: Every Christmas Eve is spent at my Mommy Elaine?s house in Makati, with my brother Chet and his family. Here we share Noche Buena. Every Christmas Day we have lunch with the Pangilinans in my sister-in-law?s home. This is also where we exchange gifts and open them in front of everyone! I dream of someday spending Christmas with my little family and my Mommy in another country ? kahit once lang. I?ve never experienced it outside of the Philippines.

SIM: You?ve raised beautiful kids, even under very high-profile conditions ? showbiz plus politics! How do you keep things as ?normal? as possible ? or is that at all possible?

Sharon: Not without difficulty! Even if we try to impose limits ? on allowance, TV time, etc. ? other people tend to spoil them. We are generous parents, but we try not to spoil them to the point that they become brats.

Since it would be unrealistic of us to expect our children to be treated like regular kids, we try our best to make our home environment as normal as possible for them. We never fail to remind them that being on TV or being famous doesn?t mean we are better than other people. We teach them constantly to share.

SIM: What kind of a mom are you? In what ways are you like or unlike your own mom, Ms. Elaine?

Sharon: The best! (Hahaha! That?s what Frankie and Miel always say, at least!) Seriously, I?d give my life for any of my children. I?m funny and am mostly like a buddy to them, but I am also strict and do not hesitate to reprimand them when they are disobedient. I am not a ?spanking? parent, but I haven?t spared the rod entirely ?usually, they would have to face the wall for a few minutes. And always, we would talk to them after tears have been shed and punishment is over. You can?t just punish your children without making them understand why. In a lot of ways, my mom is a better mother than I am. But I think we grow up seeing how our moms raise us, and we take all that?s been effective and good and just leave what we didn?t like or what didn?t work. Every generation tries to be better.

SIM: What are the most important things that you?ve taught, or are trying to teach, your kids?

Sharon: That they should love God above all else. That everyone deserves to be respected, no matter what their social status. That kindness is contagious and fills one?s heart in a way that selfishness never will. Having said that, they are also shown and taught that they should always stand up for what they believe is right. That they must never allow anyone to step on their toes or put one over them. That humility is expected of them, but being a pushover is unacceptable. That good looks and fame and fortune may pass, but a good heart will always stay and be remembered if it is taken care of. That school is important, because a good education can take them anywhere and allow them to pursue dreams they otherwise can?t. I think it is evident also in KC that I have imparted a good work ethic. My children are constantly reminded that we love and adore them very much.

SIM: You also grew up in the public eye, and it was not a very regular childhood. Any lessons you learned from that ? good and bad ? that you?ve applied to your own family?

Sharon: Without knowing it, I was being ?trained? and prepared by my parents for my present job (very public) and my husband?s (more public!). We grew up na hindi malaki ang ulo (not swell-headed) or matapobre (haughty). It simply wasn?t to be tolerated by my parents. And no matter where you put me or my brother, whether in Malacañang or in the slum areas, marunong kaming makibagay (we know how to adjust), and we?re comfortable. I am grateful and pretty comfortable where I stand in showbiz. I realize there is some degree of influence I exert, and I hope I am handling that position well enough to do justice to this blessing. One of the saddest things I?ve learned from having grown up with high-profile parents, though, is that not everyone who seems nice and good to you and your family, is. So many have taken advantage of me, of us, over the years. I am smart enough now to be able to tell if someone has some hidden agenda in trying to befriend me, but I take pride in the fact that I am still not cynical. Just careful.

SIM: What do you like to do together as a family? Any shared activities, hobbies, passions, adventures?

Sharon: Ay! We are very mababaw (easy to please) ? but these are the things that actually matter to one?s soul, and that will hopefully serve my children well in the long run. We enjoy traveling together! When we?re outside the country, it is easier for us to be ?normal.? We?re able to go around without being recognized, and our girls have us all to themselves. We prefer Asian countries, particularly Thailand and Hong Kong. We enjoy L.A. also, because we have relatives and friends there ? and Disneyland, which my girls never seem to tire of! I told Kiko that next year, I hope we can vacation in a province in the Philippines. I take pride in the fact that we are hands-on parents. I cook and bake with my girls when my schedule allows. We play Wii or watch a nice family film on DVD (they?re not allowed TV on weekdays ? well, except to watch KC in ?Lovers In Paris? on Fridays!). We enjoy cuddling and just being in one room together. We eat together, and Kiko and I read to our girls almost every night.

SIM: At this point in your life, how do you balance career and family? Has family truly become the priority, or do you make it a point to schedule time for your own thing, as well?

Sharon: You know, except for what is surely God?s grace, I have no idea how I do it! My family has always been and always will be my priority. I believe, however, that in order for me to be a great wife and mom, I have to take care of myself and my needs as a woman who enjoys doing what she does for a living, as well as my need to be alone once in a while. I don?t think that many people know, or would believe, that I am basically a loner. I talk in my talk show and sing in my concerts and deliver lines with emotion in my movies, so at home, I cannot be separated from my bed! My home ? especially my room ? is my quiet, happy place. Kiko and I allow each other ?alone time,? you know. He goes away ? usually to a beach ? for a few days, every six months or so. The last time I went away was to Hong Kong, last year. The day after my two-night 25th Anniversary concerts in 2002, I flew alone to Bangkok. All I did was read, watch TV, and have in-room massages and room service! The problem is, I end up missing my girls too much.
In all, my schedule?s okay, but it is when I make a movie that I am away from my children the longest. Though it kills me to be away from them, even Kiko reminds me that it is something I have to do for myself.

SIM: Do Senator and Mrs. Pangilinan ever still manage to get some quality time together?

Sharon: We can, but I end up crying when I think of my girls, so it ends up being the whole family! Couples should always set aside some ?honey time,? though. It is important to catch up with just ?honey? and ?honey,? not ?honey-daddy? and ?honey-mommy.? And please, no cell phones. One day I?ll throw Kiko?s cellphone away! But on second thought, huwag na lang, he might throw my laptop. Pag aircon ang tinapon, divorce na! Hahaha!

SIM: The Filipino family is known to be famously solid. You think that is still true? How do you feel about family life for the modern Pinoy?

Sharon: I think we?re still solid, even if lots of us now are more ?enlightened? ? like, if you find yourself in an abusive relationship, or in a marriage that no longer brings out the best in you, you know you can get out of it and not be ostracized. But compared to other countries, especially in the West, we still hold the family important. The modern Pinoy, which is what I?d like to think I am, takes comfort in the fact that he/she is in a marriage because he/she wants to be, not because he/she needs to be. With kids, naku, di puwede sa akin yung sa US, where they leave the house when they turn 18. I want my kids to be in their mid-20s before they leave. I wish the men my daughters marry would build houses very near ours. And I will kidnap my grandkids! Filial piety is important. That should never change.

SIM: What?s your Christmas wish for your own family?

Sharon: Good health and lots of love, and unbreakable bonds between and amongst us. In the end you?ll find that nothing matters, except knowing that you are loved by those you love more than life itself. ?